Monday, October 18, 2010

Cran-tastick!

"The farm is more than just land to us. It represents a type of 'sacred ground.' Nurturing this ground through natural and responsible farming practices is second nature to us." - Tim Vincent

I couldn't resist posting this photo of the cranberry harvest at Vincent Family Cranberries in Bandon, Oregon. You've probably seen their dried cranberries and cranberry juices at local markets recently, the result of a big risk taken by this third-generation family business.

Tim's grandfather and grandmother pressing juice in the 1950s.

Low prices for fresh cranberries, caused by the commoditization of the market over the last few years, had driven many of Oregon's small cranberry farmers out of business. Not willing to give up without a fight, Tim Vincent decided to risk everything on producing his own dried berries and juices, selling them first at local farmers' markets, refining their juice drink flavors with guidance from customer feedback.

Will it work? Time will tell, but Tim and his family are convinced that their homegrown, sustainable approach will resonate with customers. Made with just cranberry juice, water and raw organic agave from Glory Bee Foods in Eugene, the juices are bottled in Dundee. Even the labels were part of their considerations, and they ended up printing them on paper from sustainably harvested bamboo.

With that kind of dedication and attention to detail, I think they'll do just fine.